The reigning champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings, are gearing up to put up another formidable fight this season. Their aim? To add another victory to their trophy showcase. It’s worth noting that they’ve seized the IPL crown five times, an impressive accomplishment.
Yet, they’re not alone in this achievement. The Mumbai Indians also boast five IPL victories. This mutual success is what stokes the rivalry between them, earning their clash the nickname ‘El Clasico’ of the league.
MI, victors in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020, hold impressive records. They’re renowned as one of the teams that nurture future stars.
The IPL auction happened on December 19 at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena. It gave all franchises a chance to bolster their squads. Both teams did this with ease.
We compare CSK and MI in this feature to help you determine whether team has a stronger squad.
Chennai Super Kings
The Chennai Super Kings went into the December 19 auction with a predetermined gameplan, which they were able to execute to some extent.
They will believe they have a well-balanced group. The addition of Rachin Ravindra to their top order is expected to add a lot of weight, but this puts Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ajinkya Rahane in a bind.
With so many top-order batters in their lineup, it will be interesting to watch which of the chosen two bats first. While Rahane is unlikely to do so, the presence of Ravindra raises another question mark.
Given the requirement to play four foreign players, Mitchell Santner, who was already a member of their squad, might not make the cut. The way captain MS Dhoni leads his team will determine how they fare in the competition. He has a lot on his plate.
CSK have a more than adequate bowling assault, led by Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, and Ravindra Jadeja. The addition of another excellent spinner, as well as either Matheesha Pathirana or Mustafizur Rahman, could result in a well-balanced team.
Mumbai Indians
The Mumbai Indians, who did not enter theIPL auction with the purpose of purchasing a large number of players, would be delighted with how they conducted themselves. They kept their main players and were able to get Hardik Pandya through a deal with the Gujarat Titans.
Soon after, they made news by selecting him captain, succeeding the incumbent Rohit Sharma. Pandya won the IPL with the Titans in his debut season, which might be one of the key reasons he was selected captain upon his return to the squad.
Pandya was all set to earn his second champion title but fell short to the Chennai Super Kings in the finale. This time, back in his familiar territory, he’ll need to walk a fine line between guiding the rookies and veterans.
Gerald Coetzee and Dilshan Madushanka joining their ranks would relieve some of the load on Jasprit Bumrah. At the same time, the addition of Mohammad Nabi in the lower middle-order is certain to provide them some late flourishes.
MI appears to have reinforced every department that needed to be enhanced, albeit their spin bowling department appears to be undercooked. Shreyas Gopal of Karnataka, who was taken up for his base price, would come in useful here given his expertise.
Who has the better squad?
Despite the fact that both clubs have reasonably balanced and even rosters, it looks like MI has the upper hand against CSK. This is only due to the fact that their core stays intact. This core also includes players who are still in their prime and can be anticipated to make significant contributions to the team’s cause in the upcoming IPL season and beyond.
